


I Want to be the Boy (That Warms your Mother's Heart)

by Dancains



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Brief references to Ed having a bad childhood, Coming Out, Established Relationship, Gen, Happy Ending, M/M, One Shot, Season/Series 01
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-12
Updated: 2018-01-12
Packaged: 2019-03-04 01:39:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13353816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dancains/pseuds/Dancains
Summary: "I'm so sorry I was late," Ed said hurriedly, "I had to stay late at work--very complicated triple homicide. I'll tell you about it if you like, you might find some of the details amusing." He smiled nervously, and Oswald's heart almost skipped a beat when he saw the beautiful bouquet of flowers hidden poorly behind his back.Without thinking, he grinned back at him. Even if nearly no one showed up for his grand opening, his mother was becoming a bit of a handful, and he had waited for what felt like an eternity thinking Ed wasn't even going to show up...it was all worth it.





	I Want to be the Boy (That Warms your Mother's Heart)

**Author's Note:**

> this is some sort of self-indulgent canon divergence AU where Ed and Oswald have already met and are dating during the events of season one. For sake of ease, I've combined elements from different scenes at Oswald's first night club. Thematically, this could be a companion piece to my fic "Sweet Talkin' Son (of a Preacher Man)" even though Ed has never met Gertrud in that 'verse.
> 
> Title comes from a White Stripes song, even though the actual lyrics don't really fit this piece. Some nice mood music would be 'Young Love" by Tab Hunter, IMO.

Part of Oswald knew he that shouldn't go to see Ed at his work, of all places. But part of him didn't care.

And just possibly, part of him wanted to see the confused drop of Jim Gordon's jaw as his eyes flickered from his tall, awkward coworker to the mobster who had just strolled into GCPD headquarters--as casually as if he came to deliver Edward Nygma fancily embossed envelopes every day of the week. The smug smile stayed on Oswald's face the entire way back to the bar.

 Ed had been flustered when he received the invitation, but he still accepted it gladly. 

 "Wow! Congratulations, Oswald." he had said, looking from the card back to the man who had given it to him. The words were kind and genuine, and left Oswald feeling warm. And to think that once upon a time he might have been foolish enough to try to invite Jim Gordon to this sort of occasion.  _Tsk Tsk,_ he thought,  _the detective didn't know what he was missing._

 When the evening finally rolled around, he still felt the familiar creep of nerves. He knew Ed had enthusiastically agreed to attend, but he wouldn't feel better until Ed walked through that door. He watched his mother slow dance with Gabe as the band played on. He wished he had worn a watch, if only because compulsively glancing at it would give him something to do. 

 He brought the glass in front of him to his lips, but heard the soft clearing of someone's throat behind him before he could take a sip. His leg throbbed with the force he used to suddenly push himself out of his chair. 

 "I'm so sorry I'm late," Ed said hurriedly, "I had to stay late at work--very complicated triple homicide. I'll tell you about it if you like, you might find some of the details amusing." He smiled nervously, and Oswald's heart almost skipped a beat when he saw the beautiful bouquet of flowers hidden poorly behind his back.

 Without thinking, he grinned back at him. Even if nearly no one showed up for his grand opening, his mother was becoming a bit of a handful, and he had waited for what felt like an eternity thinking Ed wasn't even going to show up...it was all worth it. 

 Realizing Ed expected an answer, he nodded fervently, "it's okay, it's really fi-" 

 His mother, seemingly materializing out of nowhere, interrupted his thought before he could finish it. "Oswald, who is this?" she asked with pointed curiosity.

 "Just a friend who wanted to wish me-"

 " _Congratulations,_ " Ed concluded enthusiastically, before smartly passing the bouquet into Gertrud's empty hands--a spray of blue irises and stargazer lilies. "Mrs. Cobblepot, I presume?"

 "Kapelput," she corrected automatically, "but you may call me Gertrud." Oswald suspected that she had already been won over.

 

They were all a few drinks in, sitting in a corner booth in the near-empty nightclub, when Gertrud made a passing comment about how slim Ed was.

"Well, my mother always did say I was scrawny."

Oswald noticed that Ed's mouth was drawn as he said it, as if he was recalling an unpleasant memory. 

Gertrude, without a pause, leaned in slightly towards Ed, and whispered conspiratorially, "Oswald was always very...how do you say? Very  _pudgy_ child. Look at him now--so thin! I am worrying about him. _Constantly._ " She says the last word slowly, as if struggling to remember how to say it properly.

"Mother!" Oswald interjected, glancing at Ed with a mix of apology and embarrassment. 

Ed looked as if he was doing his best not to burst out in to laughter, his smile was thin but not forced, eyes alight with mirth. "Is that true?” He played along with Gertrude. She nodded, the delayed movement revealing just how intoxicated she was.

Ed's arm was slung casually over Oswald's shoulder, his thumb casually brushing the hair at the nape of his neck. "I don’t think you need to worry so much," Ed told her, "...whenever I cook anything for him, It’s gone in ten seconds flat. If Oswald has anything, it's an appetite." 

Seeing Gertrud's raised eyebrows, he put one hand up, as if making a boy scout's salute, “I swear it”.

"Ah, that is so good to hear!" Her gaze shifts from Oswald to Ed. "You cook? Such a nice skill for a young man to have...so nice," she murmured, almost more to herself than to Ed or Oswald. “You must have learned from your mother--a good woman."

"Some of it from her, and from books too I suppose."

"Mother it's getting a little late..." said Oswald, "we should get a cab home." He squeezed Ed's knee before they left, under the table where Gertrud couldn't see.

 

His mother's apartment was filled with the strong, familiar scent of lavender and perfume when they returned. The rare visitors they had often found it cloying, but to Oswald it was dearly comforting. 

He put the bouquet of fresh flowers in a vase on the kitchen table, a nice departure from the silk flowers she often used to decorate. Some of the higher shelves where she kept the vintage china were covered with a fine layer of dust. He would have to get a stool or chair to stand on to clean that for her, he decided. The thought crossed his mind that if Ed were there he probably wouldn't need the stool. He would have probably cleaned the entire apartment with enthusiasm if Oswald or Gertrud had asked him to. 

He decided to bring his mother a tall glass of water, and a pain relief tablet to leave on her bedside table for the migraine that she might wake up with in the morning.

When he entered her room, she was sitting on the bed. Oswald was taken by surprise when he noticed the glimmer of tears beading in her eyes. He blanched.

"Mother? Mother, what’s wrong?" He ignored the slight pain in his leg as he hurriedly sat next to her, wrapping his arm gently around her shoulder. She squeezed his hand. 

"I am not sad  _mein liebling_ , these are happy tears.” Her other hand came up to tenderly cup his chin. “Expect for maybe, how I will not have grand babies…that makes me a little unhappy, but it is not the only important thing in life, I know."

Oswald felt his breath catch in his throat. No, there was no way she could know. 

“Mother, wh-what are you talking about? You’re not making sense, I think you had too much to drink.”

“Oswald," she said, her tone suddenly lucid and sober, “I like Edward very much. I think he’s a good boy.”

"Well that’s wonderful mother, but I don’t see what tha-"

She tsk-ed, interrupting him, "Is he not your… _special friend?_

His mouth formed a perfect "O" of surprise--even though the phrasing was clumsy there was only one way he could interpret the question. 

"You must always be honest with your mother," she gently warned him, “if no one else, be honest with me.”

This was a moment that Oswald never thought would come. His hand trembled in hers as the grandfather clock in the living room began to toll.

He took a second to collect his thoughts and tried to speak, but all he could do was nod his head. His eyes didn't quite meet hers. 

“Yes, Ed’s my," he stuttered, "my boyfriend." He dared to look back at her, and saw no anger in her face. "Mother, I like him more than you can imagine," Oswald continued, "and…I think he really likes me.” He swallowed, “I’ve never felt like this with anyone else...”

It was the truth. There had certainly been a handful of men who had turned his head in the past, but Ed was the only one who pulled at his heartstrings, who not only cared for him in return, but cared so deeply.

Gertrud's clear blue eyes were filled with nothing but love and compassion as she held his gaze. she wrapped him in a tight hug and tucked her head into the crook of his neck.

"My baby is in love," she murmured dreamily into his shoulder. He could feel the tickle of her wavy hair against his closed eyes, along with the sudden prickle of his own joyful tears--making the two of them a matching set. 

Oswald wasn't sure how long they stayed like that, with her hand rubbing comforting circles across his back. When they finally broke apart, she pulled the handkerchief from his suit jacket and dabbed at his eyes. There were no words to describe the weight that had been lifted from his shoulders.


End file.
